Fitness
13 free workouts you can do at home in just 15 minutes
![13 free workouts you can do at home in just 15 minutes 13 free workouts you can do at home in just 15 minutes](https://media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com/image/upload/t_social_share_1200x630_center,f_auto,q_auto:best/rockcms/2022-10/workout-apps-te-221013-13585d.jpg)
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There are busy days when making it to the gym is just not in the cards with everything else on your to-do list. But just because your schedule is jam-packed doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze in a quick, effective workout from the comfort of your own home.
How quick are we talking? Just 15 minutes of exercise per day can have a positive impact on your health — from better cognitive function to improved metabolic and cardiovascular health to a longer lifespan.
Since consistency is key when it comes to reaping the benefits of exercise, shorter workouts are a great tool to have in your arsenal. They are easier to commit to than those hour-long sessions that require you to leave home and head to the gym. And whether you’re in the mood for strength training or dance cardio, we’ve rounded up 13 free workouts you can do in just 15 minutes, with little to no equipment needed.
1. 15-Minute Aerobic Workout for Beginners
If it’s been a minute since you’ve worked out, this 15-minute aerobic workout will remind you how much fun it can be. Burn calories and get your heart rate up with easy-to-follow moves that even the most novice of fitness levels can master.
2. Diverse Personal Training Cardio and Strength Circuit
Build core and shoulder strength with this 15-minute cardio-based workout that only requires a set of hand weights (or even water bottles).
3. MadFit’s No Equipment 15 Minute Full Body Workout
No space or equipment? No problem. This full-body workout can be done with minimal space and will leave you feeling sweaty and satisfied.
4. 13-Minute Cycle and Strength Workout
Dust off that spin bike and get ready to work your upper and lower body with this quick 13-minute workout from Barry’s.
5. PuzzleFit 15-Minute Quick Tabata HIIT Aerobic Step Workout
Use your stairs, a step stool or any elevated surface as a step to take on this tough Tabata workout. You’ll do 20-second intervals of cardio and short, 10-second periods of rest to really elevate your heartrate.
6. Boho Beautiful Yoga 15-Minute Morning Yoga Workout
If you have a few extra minutes in the morning, kick it off with this full-body yoga workout that tones and strengthens every part of the body.
7. MrandMrsMuscle 15-Minute Abs and Core Circuit
Whip those core muscles into shape with this 15-minute ab burning workout. This routine features floor and standing movements to activate all your major core muscle groups.
8. GymRa 15-Minute Buttocks Workout
Get that booty burn in with this 15-minute glute workout that requires no equipment. All the moves are slow and controlled, which makes the workout extremely effective and also ideal for beginners.
9. 15-Minute Yoga Workout to Unwind
Having a stressful day? This 15-minute at-home yoga workout is just what you need to strengthen, lengthen and unwind your body.
10. Blogilates 15-Minute Arm Burnout
This 15-minute upper-body workout doesn’t require any weights — but your arms will be shaking by the end of it.
11. Juice & Toya 15-Minute Full Body Dumbbell Workout
Have a set of dumbbells? Target every muscle group with this 15-minute strength and conditioning workout for a full-body burn.
12. STEEZY 15-Minute Hype Dance Workout
Who couldn’t use a 15-minute dance break? This choreographed cardio workout will make you feel like you’re at a fun party. Good vibes and a solid cardio workout for free? Sign us up!
13. FitnessBlender 15-Minute HIIT Workout
If you’re up for a challenge, this intense 15-minute cardio workout features Tabata-style HIIT intervals with lots of jumps interspersed throughout to keep you on your toes (literally).
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Fitness
Why Riders Need to Exercise – The Plaid Horse Magazine
![Why Riders Need to Exercise – The Plaid Horse Magazine Why Riders Need to Exercise – The Plaid Horse Magazine](https://theplaidhorse.s3.amazonaws.com/media/uploads/2024/08/LCA-30.jpg)
By LAURA CRUMP ANDERSON
I feel like I have had this conversation until I am blue in the face: riders should exercise outside of the tack. With top athletes like McClain Ward and Boyd Martin exercising regularly outside of the tack, it’s clear that fitness will improve your riding. Exercise outside of riding isn’t just for the elite; rider fitness has a huge impact on every rider’s success in the saddle.
Time Spent in the Tack
![](https://theplaidhorse.s3.amazonaws.com/media/uploads/2024/08/Stanley-under-saddle-1024x683.jpg)
![](https://theplaidhorse.s3.amazonaws.com/media/uploads/2024/08/Stanley-under-saddle-1024x683.jpg)
While unmounted exercise is important, time spent in the tack is the best way to improve your riding. The sport-specific skill you develop in your seat/core, legs, arms, and hands cannot be recreated by any exercise program. Correct timing and knowing when to reward and when to push is not going to come from box jumps. As a lifelong equestrian, my timing and feel is not something I have developed in the gym.
Benefits of Exercise Out of the Tack
Exercising outside of the tack can reduce your chance of injury. Strengthening muscles that are not worked during riding creates a healthier, more stable body. Working out can improve your ability to tell where you are in space, improve your body composition, improve your mobility, and even help fight depression and anxiety. Exercise can also improve your sleep, which is an essential part of rest and recovery.
Who Am I and What Gives Me The Right To Say This
I am a lifelong equestrian. I started riding bareback on the trails on my Shetland Miniature cross. I got into a hunter jumper barn when I was eight and have competed locally and well as at a few rated shows like Upperville. I found the sport of eventing when I was 12 years old and have been hooked ever since. That has not stopped me from working in grand prix dressage and showjumping barns as well. I believe that in this sport, you can always be learning.
When I was 14, I was told by an orthopedic surgeon that I had a severe overtraining injury even though I’d never set foot in the gym. I was in so much pain I had to quit riding for almost 6 months. Through physical therapy, I was back to competing less than a year later.
That was when I dedicated my life to helping riders take their fitness seriously outside of the tack. I went on to get my degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in exercise science, did an internship under the tutelage of an equestrian who was also a physical therapist, and became certified as a Personal Trainer by the American College of Sports Medicine. I am also a 200-hour yoga teacher and mat Pilates certified. I have done this all with the purpose of finding the best routine for riders. I am still learning but I have created a great program.
In 2022, my book “Ultimate Exercise Routines for Riders” was published by Trafalgar Square. I created my company, Hidden Heights Fitness, to train riders to be the best equestrian they can be. I have worked with five star event riders, Grand Prix dressage riders, polo riders, show jumpers, hunter riders, equestrian endurance athletes, and fox hunters. Even a 60-year-old barrel racer reached out to tell me how much of difference my book has made in her riding. This stuff really works and if you are not exercising you really should consider it.
Balancing Exercise With an Equestrian Life
Equestrians are already physically active, with an incredibly demanding schedule. I recommend finding ways to train anywhere, at any time. The exercises in my book only need a space the size of a yoga mat, once or twice a week. As a personal trainer, I do sessions on Zoom so my clients don’t have to worry about a commute or parking. There are ways to exercise while saving time to live the life you love. Your body, and your horse, will thank you.
Laura Crump Anderson is a lifelong equestrian and a personal trainer. Find out more about her programs on https://www.hiddenheightsfitness.com/.
Fitness
Breaking Away from the Screen: How Exercise and Tech Can Keep You Healthy at Home
![Breaking Away from the Screen: How Exercise and Tech Can Keep You Healthy at Home Breaking Away from the Screen: How Exercise and Tech Can Keep You Healthy at Home](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5472,h_3078,x_0,y_305/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/317/01j5ga4y5teaqaqnfw70.jpg)
With much more of the labor force working from home over the last few years, the need to break away from the computer screen to get some exercise is more important than ever. A sedentary lifestyle can cause many health problems, which is bad for you and the already overworked healthcare system. Keep reading while we dive in to see how much exercise we need and discuss some tech that can help us reach our goals.
Engaging in regular physical activity has many health benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, better mental health, enhanced cognitive function, and a reduced risk of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that a healthy adult engage in 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week, which is about 30 minutes per day, five days a week. Moderate aerobic activity includes bike riding and brisk walking.
Exercise is a powerful tool for promoting good health. When you engage in physical activity, your body undergoes several beneficial physiological changes that can result in fat loss, increased strength, and improved mood. Different types of activity will have different results.
Cardiovascular Activity
Engaging in regular aerobic exercise, such as walking, running, or cycling, can strengthen your heart and improve circulation, which can lower your blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. You will get tired less frequently, and it will be easier to do things like walk up a hill or stairs without getting fatigued.
Mental Health and Cognitive Function
Exercise has a big impact on mental health. Physical activity increases the production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood lifters, which can help reduce feelings of depression. It can also help improve brain function, making it easier to stay focused and solve problems. Many people also notice that they have an easier time remembering things.
Increased Strength
If you incorporate resistance training into your workout through resistance training or calisthenics, you can increase your overall strength. By targeting muscle groups and forcing them to work under heavy loads, you can cause muscle growth, which not only allows you to move heavier objects but can also improve your overall physical appearance.
Wearables like smartwatches and fitness trackers can help you monitor your heart rate, track steps, count calories burned, and even analyze sleep patterns. This information can help you develop a plan and track your progress. Brands like Fitbit, Apple Watch, and Garmin offer advanced features that can help you set and achieve fitness goals.
Fitness apps offer personalized workout plans, track progress, and provide motivation. Virtual trainers and AI-powered platforms can also adapt workouts based on your performance, making exercise more effective and engaging. Apps like Nike Training Club, MyFitnessPal, or even VR-based apps like Supernatural are great options.
While exercise is important, you must eat a healthy diet and review it occasionally to make any necessary changes that could improve your health. A balanced diet of lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates will provide the required fuel for your body. Proper hydration is equally important, especially when you are working out.
Using technology to monitor your diet can be incredibly beneficial. Apps like MyFitnessPal allow you to track your food intake, monitor macronutrient ratios, and ensure you’re meeting your dietary needs.
Adequate rest is essential for the body to repair itself, particularly after intense exercise, and that’s when all the magic happens. Take at least 48 hours of rest before you target the same muscle group after a workout, and make sure you get plenty of sleep at night.
Always contact your doctor before starting an exercise routine to ensure you don’t have any underlying health conditions that might make it unsafe.
Getting help from a qualified trainer can also help ensure that you get the best results in the fastest time, with less risk of injury or health issues.
Follow Geeksided to stay up to date with the science behind good health and to leave comments and questions.
Fitness
How to invest 3% of your day in exercise to live longer, according to an expert in healthy aging
Investing just 3% of your time each day in exercise could help you live a longer, healthier life, a physiologist told Business Insider.
Nathan K. LeBrasseur, director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at Mayo Clinic, researches healthy aging. He said that “the greatest threats to human health today are lifestyle-related conditions” such as cardiovascular and lung diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and cancer.
Such lifestyle-related conditions account for almost three-quarters of deaths worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization — 17 million of which happen before the age of 70.
Dedicating some time to a healthy, active lifestyle when you’re young can help to prevent or delay these conditions, LeBrasseur said.
Some might be disappointed that there’s no secret to healthy aging, no matter how much money “biohackers” throw at the problem. But LeBrasseur said this “should really be viewed as an incredible opportunity that you have such control over your health and wellbeing.”
He shared the smartest way to invest your time to stay healthy.
Spend 3% of your day exercising
Investing 3% of your income sounds like a “minimal financial
investment,” LeBrasseur said.
Similarly, investing just 3% of your day in exercise is “a minimal investment to have a profound impact on our overall health,” he said.
Nitat Termmee/Getty Images
This works out at around 30 minutes of a typical 16-hour day that should be spent doing moderate to vigorous exercise, he said.
Moderate exercise should make you feel “on the verge of being a little short of breath,” he said, or is a five or a six out of 10 in terms of effort. Vigorous exercise, meanwhile, is more of an eight or nine out of 10 and should make you actively fatigued.
Depending on your fitness level, this could involve walking, lifting weights, running, cycling, or swimming.
The type of exercise matters
LeBrasseur recommended doing a mixture of resistance and aerobic exercises — aerobic for cardiovascular, brain, metabolic, and pulmonary health, and resistance to maintain physical function and prevent frailty in older age.
One 2022 study showed that doing both resistance training and aerobic exercise appeared to reduce participants’ risk of dying from any cause by 32%.
HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, is a good “twofer,” LeBrasseur said, because it features both resistance and aerobic exercises. With HIIT, “you’re definitely taxing your cardiovascular system as well as your musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems, and there is a clear benefit to that,” he said.
Functional training, featuring squats, lunges, and pulling/pushing exercises, is also beneficial for healthy aging, he said, as it can strengthen the muscles needed to preserve mobility and physical function in older age.
Don’t just be active at the gym
“Being more habitually active and having fewer rest periods during the day is highly beneficial” for health and longevity, LeBrasseur said.
He recommended adding bits of exercise into the day wherever you can — whether that’s parking the car further from your destination, getting up to speak to colleagues instead of emailing them, or going to the grocery store instead of getting a delivery.
Consider when you don’t move, too, he said. If you work a sedentary job, he suggested getting up from your desk every hour to walk for 10 minutes or doing some pushups or squats.
Start ASAP and pick something you enjoy
“Sooner is always better,” LeBrasseur said. “It’s never too late. Even for 90 year olds, there’s strong evidence that exercise can have clear health benefits on preserving function and preventing exacerbation of disease.”
But the most important thing about physical activity and exercise is consistency, he said. So, pick an activity that you enjoy and can do regularly to reap the benefits.
LeBrasseur runs, bikes, and swims, but said people shouldn’t try to copy him or anyone else. “The point is that I do these things because I really enjoy them and can be consistent with them. If you asked me to do another activity that I had zero interest in, I might do it for a week but then I’d drop off,” he said.
Combining exercise with socializing can also make regular exercise easier because it’s more enjoyable, plus your friends can hold you accountable.
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